Grip for sport clubs



April 26, 1938.

T. S. PARK GRIP FOR SPORT CLUBS Filed May e, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIllnllllllll innig Henn@ April 26, 1938.l

T. s. FmK GRIP FOR SPORT CLUBS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 15235 my Hrr/ INVENTOR B. ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE GRIP FOB SPORT CLUBS Tracy S. Park, Houston, Tex.

Application May 6, 1935, Serial No. 19,964 9 Claims. (Cl. 273-81) The invention relates to a grip to be employed upon the handles of sport clubs such as golf clubs, tennis rackets, base ball bats, shing rods and the like.

lIt is an object of the inventionto provide a frictional surface upon the handle of the club which will give the player a rrn grip upon the club and prevent the slipping or turning of the club in the hands of the player.

ItA is also desired to provide such a gripping surface which is somewhat pliable and resilient and will take the shock from the hands of the user.

It is a further object to provide a gripping surface which is so formed as to resist the slipping of the club longitudinally in the hands of the player. I desire to so grind the surface upon the gripping member that it will particularly resist the movement of the club outwardly from the players grip.

It is another object of the invention'to provide a gripping surface for clubs of this character which is strong and durable and will not be adversely affected by moisture thereon from perspiration on the players hands, or from rain, or other similar source. I desire to provide a surfacing for the grip which is made of strong and durable cord which will last through the life of the club.

Other objects and advantages will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the drawings herewith wherein: A

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of a gripping device shown asv employed upon the handle of the golf club.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1 and shown somewhat enlarged.

Fig. 3 is a broken elevation of the end of my gripping member showing the character of surface formed upon the grip used on a golf club.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing a slightly different embodiment of the surface covering for the grip.

Fig. 5 is a broken sectional detail enlarged to indicate the fabric covering for the gripping member.

Figs. 6 and 7 are side and end views respectively of a grinding -member which may Vbe employed to properly surface the gripping device.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section on .the plane 8-8 of Fig. 9.

Figs. 9 and 10 are side elevations and sections respectively showing the employment of my invention upon the handle of a tennis racket.

Figs. 11 and 12 are side elevations of the handle of a base ball bat showing my invention employed thereon.

My invention is employed particularly upon the handle of a golf club, as is shown in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, and although the gripping device may be employed upon a wooden golf' handle I have shown the same as employed upon a steel club having a tubular steel handle I, vwhich is cylindrical. 'I'his handle may be prepared in any of the usual methods for receiving thereon the gripping member. A

Said gripping member is made up of an inner layer 2 of rubber or similar eXible and of compressible material. This layer may be made in any preferred form and although the composition is largely rubber it may lhave therein other materials such as ground cork, fabric, ber or the like, which, together with the rubber, forms a compressible gripping member. This layer of material forms a cushion and is made of increasing thickness from the inner end to the outer end, thus providing a grip which tapers from the end of the handle toward the club head.

On the outer surface of the cushioning layer 2 I provide a frictional gripping layer 3. This gripping surface is preferably made of strong cord. It may be made entirely of Vthreads or strings or cord extending longitudinally of the gripping member from one end to the other, lying closely adjacent each other along the surface as shown at 4 in Figs. 3 and 6. The term cord as herein employed` designates a heavy thread such as is commonly spun from cotton or similar lint and has material strength. 'Ihese cords are embedded in the outer surface of the rubber cushioning member the cords being placed in position closely adjacent each other and longitudinally on the said layer 2 of rubber and the whole assembly is placed in a mold and the rubberis vulcanized with the cord in place about the periphery thereof. This operation may be carried on by using the club handle as the mandrel on which the grip is molded, or a separate mandrel may be used and the grip later axed to the desired club handle. y

At the outer end of the steel shaft the rubber cushioning layer 2 extends slightly beyond the end of the shaft, as shown at 5. There is an opening in the layer of rubber corresponding to the opening through the steel shaft anda button or plug 6 of hard rubber or other similar material is fixed therein, said button having a radial flange 1 intertting with the soft rubber of the cushioning layer. The plug is thus held firmly in place cemented with the rubber of the grip.

Whilelthe outer gripping surface of the handle 'may be made of cord lying longitudinally of the embodiment. The gripping member is placedin the moldwithf: the fabric 'on the outer 'surface thereof so that when the assembled shaft and grip member are compressed under heat and vulcanized the rubber will extend through the surface of the fabric as shown at 9 in Fig. 5.

When the cushioning member with either the fabric or cord surface thereon is properly vulcanized in the mold, the next step includes the grinding of' the outer surface so as to properly expose the cord portion of the grip to the hands of the player. smooth off the handle thoroughly so that no irnperfections inthe surface vwill show. This done by means of a grinding member III shown in Figs. 6 and 7. I preferably use a grinding wheel which may be of carborundum or other similar abrasive material, the periphery of the grinding wheel being curved to conform approximately to the outer curvature of the handle. The surface is then groun-d by abrading the outer surface of the handle longitudinally, .as shown particularly in Fig. 6, with the grinding Wheel rotating so as to cause the nap ofA the cord or canvas to be pulled out of the rubber so that it will lie in a direction inclined toward the club head, as shown at II in Fig. 6. The entire surface of the club is thus carefully ground exposing the lint of' the cord by removing the rubber closely adjacent the cords leaving short tufts of the cord projecting so as to form a frictional grip for the hands of the player to resist the slipping of the club. ,The nap or tufts of the cord lying in a direction as shownI in Fig. 6 will tend to resist the slipping of the club from the players hands because they have been pulled from the rubber by the grinding. It

will be seen that the player may slide'his hands by the hands of the player which is not affected bymoisture as previously noted. This cord in the handle still provides a frictional grip when Wet in approximately the same manner as when it is dry and asa matter of fact if the cord material. abcorbs moisture it will expand and project farther beyond the rubber. The handle is thusf adapted for all kinds of weather and gives to the player a firm grip on the club. 'I'he vprovision of the cush-y ioning layer'beneath the outer frictional surface gives firmness to the grip and also allows a slight flexing of the shaft of the handle within the gripping member so that the shock of the-blow delivered by the club is not received stronglyv uponvthe players hands. It givesa greater flexibility and freedom of movement of the club handle without interfering in any way with the accurate holding and positioning of the club in its use in playing. f

While my invention is particularly adaptedfor use on golf clubs it also is quite advantageously A the handle.

It is also, o`f course, desirable to' employed on other sport clubs, and in Figs. 8, 9, and 10 I have illustrated how it may be employed upon the handle of a tennis racket. While the ordinary handle of a tennis racket as now generally manufactured is of Wood, such handles are occasionally made of tubular metal stock and it is to be understood that my invention may be employed upon such handles Whether of Wood or steel or other material.

I contemplate recessing the outer grip portion of the .handle `asl shown at ,I2 in Fig. A10. This recess is of sufficient depth to accommodate an inner layer I3 of rubber or similar compositionhaving vulcanized thereon an outer layer I4 of canvas lor cord of the nature described relative tothe golf grips. This layer of rubber and cord is vulcanized before it is placed in position upon I form a tubular member of rubber and cord properly vulcanized and finished to fit around the handle of the club and to conform to the contour of the handle. This tube is slipped over the end of the handle and adjusted inposition and cemented to the wood of the handle. The outer end of the sleeve of fabric and rubber is closed bya disc I5 which may be entirely of rubber and flaring slightly outwardly to give a bead I6 at the outer end of the handle. This assembly Will then form a frictional gripping surface for the hands of the player and have the same advantages as when lemployed upon a golf club. Any imperfections in the surfacing of the gripping layer may be removed by grinding with a flat faced grinder in the usual manner.

A In Fig. 11 I have shown my gripping surface as applied to the handle of a ball club. In forming the same upon the handle of the club I contemplate forming a sleeve or tube I'I of rubber with canvas or cord embedded therein as in the other embodiment, this tubing being stretched over the end of the handle and cemented in position, embedded in the surface of the club as seen in Figs. 11 and 12. I may form the gripping surface of one continuous sleeve, as shown at I'I, or I may have two shorter sleeves I'I, as shown in Fig. 12, each sleeve serving to form a separate gripping area for each of the players hands. In either case the gripping member is formed as previously noted with an inner cushioning layer of rubber or similar composition with the cord or canvas embedded in the outer surface thereof,

said layer of material being firmly cemented to of forming a exible and cushioning grip for thev hands of the player and also furnishing a frictional surface which is particularly adapted for clubs of this character. It enables the player to get a firm and accurate hold upon the club so thatslipping or rotating of the club inthe hands of the player is prevented.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A gripping member for golf club handles, having a metal shaft, including a cushioning sleeve of flexible elastic material, and a surface covering on said sleeve consisting lof a plurality of independent fibrous cords running longitudinally of said sleeve and embedded in said sleeve and cemented with said sleeve to said shaft, said cords being comparatively coarseto form a rough frictional gripping surface and being for the greater portion of their length free from any transverse cords connecting them together.

2.` A gripping member for golf club handles ncluding an inner cushioning-sleeve largely composed of rubber and tapering in diameter inwardly from the outer end of the handle, an outer surface covering vulcanized to said sleeve, said covering being composed of brous cords embedded in the rubber, the outer surface being abraded so that the fibers thereof project from the surface in a direction inclined away from the outer end of the handle to form a frictional area to be gripped by the user.

3. A handle construction including a rubber body member, a plurality of straight longitudinal cords longitudinally 'positioned on the member and partially projecting therefrom with tufts of the cord projecting from the cord in a direction to prevent slipping of the handle when held and being for the greater portion of their length free from any transverse cords connecting them together.

4. A gripping member for handles for sport clubs including an inner cushioning layer of rubber, and an outer layer of relatively! coarse straight cords lying close together embedded in said rubber, said cords extending longitudinally of the grip and partly exposed and being for the greater portion of their length free from any transverse cords connecting them together.

5.\A gripping member for handles Afor sport clubs including an inner cushioning layer of rubber and an outer layer of coarse cords lying close together embedded in said rubber and vulcanized therein, said cords longitudinally of said handle having portions projecting from said rubber, the

outer surfaces of said cords being abraded to p other longitudinally of said sleeve and vulcanized into said sleeve, and having relatively few spaced transverse cords connecting saidlongitudinal cords together, the outer surface of said cords being exposed and ground to be smooth but presenting a frictional surface resisting slipping of said club in the hands of the user.

7. A gripping member for golf club handles including an inner cushioning sleeve of flexible elastic composition, said sleeve being tapered from the outer end of the golf club handle inwardly, a surface covering for said sleeve composed of coarse cords lying closely adjacent each other longitudinally of said sleeve and vulcanized into said sleeve, a plurality of transverse threads woven with said cords and spaced relatively far apart, the outer surface of said cords being exposed and ground to be smooth, but presenting a frictional surface resisting slipping of said club in the hands of the user.

8. A gripping member for handles for sport clubs including an inner cushioning layer of rubber mixed with light comminuted material, and an outer layer of coarse cords lying closely adjacent and held together by relatively few transverse. cords embedded in said rubber and vulcanized therein, the outer portion of the rubber having been removedto leave the cords exposed and projecting slightly beyond the rubber.

9. -A gripping member for golf. club handles including an inner cushioning sleeve largely composed of rubber and tapering in diameter inward-l ly from the outer end of the handle, an outer surface covering vulcanized to said sleeve, said covering being composed of coarse brous cords lying longitudinally of said sleeve, the outer tapering surface of said sleeve being abraded longitudinally to form fibers on said cord, projecting from the surface to form a frictional area adapted to be gripped by the user.

TRACY -S. PARK. 

